Nintendo Switch Key Cards Actually Driving Up Physical Video Games Sales In 2026

[RAMROD 118,449]

In a weird twist, apparently consumer spending on new physical video games in the U.S. is actually up 5 percent year-over-year so far in 2026, and it’s mostly thanks to game-key cards.

Okay, it’s mostly thanks to there being way more game-key cards available than before, and the Switch 2…existing.

This comes from Circana, which reports the 5-percent increase on new physical software as largely due to a whopping 631-percent increase in spending on game-key cards, offsetting a 3-percent drop in everything else.

ut that number sounded very suspicious, so I asked Circana’s Mat Piscatella what was up.

“Last year there were 10 titles published as Game-Key Cards,” he replied. “This year 54 more Game-Key Card titles have been published. So that’s the biggest reason. So, we are seeing new physical software sales showing growth for the first time in more than a decade. But that’s being driven primarily by Switch 2 and publishers leaning more into Game-Key Cards.”

 

https://kotaku.com/spending-on-physical-games-in-the-u-s-was-up-in-august-thanks-to-game-key-cards-2000742604

[River 129,767]

physical.. but it's actually digital 

 

[Addison Rae 18,384]

thank you Pokopia 

[Pablo 8,735]

I won't buy a key card game unless it's somehow cheaper than digital. I want the full game on it TBH 

[RAMROD 118,449]

20 minutes ago, River said:

physical.. but it's actually digital 

 

I guess thd allure is that you can resale it, unlike pure digital codes